San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-22
BROOKLYN LETTER.
From our Special Correspondent.
BROOKLYN, Sept. Is, Is


The following is q paragraph from a
high-toned and usually fair journal, but
which appears to me not only unfair,
but positively untrue and unjust. Read,
my friends and see:
"There are few lady writers who
are forever harping on one threadbare
string, viz, the necessity that exists for
every woman to be self-suppOrting.
Eleanor Kirk, for instance, never writes
of happy marriages, nor seems TO take
the slightest stock in the good, old
fashioned idea OF husbands working TO
support their wives. 1t ia all ballat, bal
lat, ballat, and never by any accident,
wife, children, home and happiness"
Now if there is woman under the
sun who believes fully and from the
very depths of an appreclatiVe soul In
the glorious quartelte above mentioned,
il is the woman who holds this pen.
First last and all the time does she be-
lleve IN the home, and because OF her
desire to perpetuate II comes the logged
insisteDce .uDOn the thorough education
OF her sex. Lovers are sometimes false,
and husband occasionally become inva-
lids, or fail in duty; and although my
editor may not be aware Of 1t, there are
really drunkards in the world. Then,
round, and that makes it very unfOrtu-
nate for the surplus. This surplus is
something awful and increasing every
year. The heiresses are few and far
between, ard il would be neither Just
nor quite CONNIE il faut for one man to
support more than his own family. So
what other remedy Is there for this
state OF things than the ability to work
and earn living? There is pauperism,
and there ia something worse, but even
my most unjust scribe would deplore
either OF these contingencies. 1t seems
to me that every thoughtful husband
and father would be glad to know
that in case of misfortune, illness,
or death, there would be no severe
struggle for the comforts of life. Let
me illustrate with one Of hundreds OF in
cidents that have come to my notice.
The wife of New York lawyer, who
enjoyed an excellent practice, took it in
to her head one day to perfect herself in
photography, which she had studied be-
fore marriage, and to learn type-writing.
Her husband demurred. There ia no
need of it," he said land what will folks
sRy?" but how nice for you to take
your work home evenings when you are
very busy, instead OF debating to
strangers! And then, my dear, how
grand thing for a woman to hold In
her grasp the means OF support. Richer
men than you have lost their money,
aud healthier men than you have been
forced to give up business" The reso-
lutte woman had her way at last, and af-
ter a few months was competent to take
the most of her husbands dictatiOns.
Indeed, she became so proficient
that she could attend the most
difficult references. Well, suddenly
one day the busy lawyer was
attacked by rheumatism, and for three
years was kept close prisoner. Now,
by the power this woman possessed. her
invalid WAS enabled to keep his place in
the firm. She took charge of the refer
ences, and kept sharp business look
out on other matters, bringing this pro-
fessional and domestic craft through the
troubled waters as successfully as the
wife of the captain, who would study
navigation, brought his ship TO port in
spite of serious illness and a mutinous
crew. This ability to keep things "taut
and trim" took nothing from The sweet
wOmSnliness of this wife, She was ten
der and she was strong. What can be,
grander than this combination, 4rd
what more likely to secure the nar,pi
ness Of husband, children and homer
Within q half block of the establishment
above alluded to, was another sick man,
also doing a remuIerative business
when he was stricken down. After long
months of suffering he died, leaving a
widow and four young children not only
without means, but without the shadow
of an idea how TO earn dollar. This
woman could keep house, play the piano
lnditferently, bear children, and make
nlnFhnE
was the limit OF her power. After an
agoniZing trial with landlords and
starvation, the children were sent to an
asylum, and the mother now earns Is
cents day making slOp-wOrk. Now,
what Of this home? Death did not Law
1t utterly waste, or at least should not
have done so. Even with the father
gone, there might still have been q
home, had the wife and mother received
the proper education and training. And
so | say unto you again and again, see TO
II that your girls are made self-suppOrt-
ing. Disabuse your minds of the i'm
preston that it is unWomanly to work.
Thank God there is more thought on
these subjects than ever before. Look
at the mothers who rake and sCrsps to
deck their daughters in silks and dia-
mOnds to catch rich husbands, and CON.
pare them with the parePts wi %
educate their girls with view To
present and future usefU' ness. and to
honorable ideas of tb", marriage rela-
ton.
A correspondent who takes slight
issue with me TO-. what she considers my
100 radical vie ws asks "why reocom-
menu pnoho' ,raphy and type writing in
pre pre- 90 other pursuits for women,
anu why | say so little about the medi-
i Hai au' legal professions" Well, be-
lieye that doctors are born, not made,
a a." that there are too many doctors as
.ere are too many ministers. II q
woman has talent for the practice of
medicine, let her develop it if the heav-
ems fall, and so with law. But girls
with good head pieces, and without es-
peCiaI talant can learn shorthand and
and type. writing perfectly. Many good
piano players become expert operators
on the typewriter and can defy the
world. ELEANOR KIRK.
Sitting on the Ground.
A subscriber ofth LIGHT called st the
office this morning and said: "As was
passing the old Fourth ward school
ii